Game apparatus



(No Model.)

0. J. STAUFPIG'VER.

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 569,391. I Patented Oct. 13, 1896.

llllll JIIIIIIIIIIIII 1 u l gy I f I n! Witnesses. I

Inventor.

Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. STAUFFIGER, OF BUFFALO, NE\V YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,391, dated October13, 1896.

Application filed February 19, 1896. Serial No. 579,918. No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. STAUFFIGER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GameApparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,clear, andexact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in game apparatus, its object beingto provide a simple, inexpensive, and amusing device.

To that end my invention consists of a casing having in its upperportion a closed and unobstructed chamber and in its lower portion aseries of chutes, their upper inletorifices being arranged in the floorof the closed chamber, theirlower numbered outlet-orifices beingarranged in the front of the casing below the closed chamber, a fixedpropelling device in the wall of the closed chamber, and a ball to bepropelled within the closed chamber and to pass by gravity into theinlet-orifice of one of the chutes and along such chute to its numberedoutlet-orifice.

I will now minutely describe the manner in which I have carried out myinvention, and then claim what I believe to be novel.

In the drawingsflligure 1 is a front elevation of my improved gameapparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same in the line a a: ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the top cover removed, and Fig. 4is an enlarged detached detail view of the propelling device.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the casing, in the upper portion ofwhich is the closed unobstructed chamber 2, having its front wallpreferably of glass. In the lower portion of the casing is constructed anumber of chutes which I preferably arrange in three rows or series 4,5, and 6. The walls of these chutes are built rectangular incross-section for economy of construction and consist of the rearvertical portions 7, 8, and 9. The upper open ends of these verticalportions are covered with a perforated sheet-metal plate 10, forming thefloor of the closed chamber, the perforations being arranged in threerows 11,

ranged in one of the upper rear corners of the closed chamber 2.

is the barrel, arranged on a slight incline, its forward open end beingcut away at its upper portion, as shown, to permit the bill 21 to dropinto the muzzle of the barrel 23 through, the open passage 25 in the topor cover 26 of the casing 1. A knob or projection 27 upon the lower sideof the inner Wall of the barrel prevents the ball from rolling down intothe barrel. The ball 24 is preferably of rubber to make it elastic.

A plunger 28 passes loosely through the orifice 29 in the side wall ofthe casing 1, its outer en d being provided with a suitable knob 30 formanipulating the plunger. Its inner end is provided with a head 31, thefront end of which is provided with sloping or conical sides 32. Betweenthe head 32 and side wall of the casing 1 is interposed the spiralspring 33, which surrounds the plunger.

In operation the ball 2a is dropped through the orifice 25 and lands inthe open end of the barrel The knob 30 is then pulled out quickly withthe hand and released. The spiral spring forces the plunger 28 and itshead 31 32 sharply forward and against the ball 25L, which is projectedacross the closed chamber 2. Its elasticity causes it to bound back andforth a number of times before settlin g down upon the perforated floorof the easing. The ball finally enters one of the upper inlet-orifices11, 12, and 13 and passes into and through one of the chutes to itslower outletorifice 17, 18, or 19, Where it is held until removed by thevertical wall 20, 21, or 22. The outlet-orifices 17, 1S, and 19 areconsecutively numbered upon the outer faces of the vertical walls 20,21, and 22.

The game consists in having each of two or more players manipulate theball as just described a stated number of times, a record of the numbersplaced opposite the outletorifices in which the ball settles being kept,and after the game the highest total obtained determines the winner.

I claim 1. A game apparatus consisting of a casing having in its upperportion a closed and unobstructed chamber and in its lower portion aseries of chutes, their upper inlet-orifices being arranged in thefloorof the closed chamber, their lower numbered outlet-orifices beingarranged in the front of the casing below the closed chamber, a fixedpropelling device in the wall of the closed chamber and a ball to bepropelled within the closed chamber and to pass by gravity into theinlet-orifice of one of the chutes and along such chute to its numberedoutlet-orifice.

2. A game apparatus consisting of a casing having in its upper portion aclosed and unobstructed chamber with transparent front wall, and in itslower portion a series of chutes,

their upper inlet-orifices being arranged in the floor of the closedchamber, their lower' numbered outlet-orifices being arranged in thefront of the casing below the closed chamber a fixed propelling devicein the wall of the closed chamber, a ball to be propelled within theclosed chamber and to pass by gravity into the inlet-orifice of one ofthe chutes and along such chute to its numbered outlet-orifice and anopen passage leading from the top or cover on the casing to the muzzleof the propelling device for the purpose stated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. 'STAUFFIGER.

\Vitnesses:

W. T. MILLER, F. P. KERSTEN.

